There are numerous proposals known and already implemented into practice for the operation of magnetic levitation railways of this kind. All these methods throughout are based on the principle of propelling and braking the magnetic levitation vehicles in normal operation with a driving and braking system, which for example comprises a long stator linear motor as well as control and regulating devices destined for its operation (DE 38 07 919 C2, DE 10 2004 018 311 A1). A long stator linear motor of this kind comprises a long stator installed in a track path and comprised of grooves and alternating current windings laid in them by means of which advancing migration waves are generated along the track path. The exciter field of the long stator linear motor is generated by supporting magnets arranged in the vehicles which moreover also fulfil the function of carrying which is required to obtain levitation. The frequency of the migration waves determines the velocity of vehicles.
To enable the vehicles to come to a controlled standstill in case of a failure of the driving and braking system regardless of where they are currently located and regardless of the velocity at which they are currently running, these vehicles are provided with an additional brake in form of a clasp brake (DE 30 04 705 A1), an eddy-current brake (DE 10 2004 013 994 A1) or the like. Additional brakes of this kind are also used in the event of other disturbances, for example in case of loss of localization. In all these cases, the additional brake ensures that the vehicles can safely be brought to a standstill at any of the destination stopping points existing along a track path, which may also be usual railway stations.
In practical applications of magnetic levitation railways, eddy-current brakes are preferably used as additional brakes. These are allocated to guide rails installed at the track path and they generate eddy-currents braking in them. However, eddy-current brakes have a disadvantage in that the comparably high current rates needed for their operation can be generated in the magnetic levitation vehicles themselves only at velocities above approximately 100 km/h, e.g. by the aid of so-called linear generators. At lower speeds, on the contrary, these currents must be supplied by batteries accommodated in the vehicles. Consequently and despite the fact that eddy-current brakes usually are activated only in case of disturbance, a plurality of batteries is needed which is undesirable due to additional weight and major space requirements involved thereby. In other words, magnetic levitation vehicles must always be operated in such a manner and destination stopping points arranged along the track path must always be chosen in such a manner that the batteries provided in the vehicles are always and safely available for an emergency braking. Conversely, the electrical energy needed in cases of emergency for the function of “carrying” is comparably insignificant.